Ant Lord in the Star Realm-Chapter 656 - 575: Lord of the 7th Age Period_3

The Snow Velvet Spider King rushed out of the cave in haste.

"..."

Inside the cave, a heavy silence fell.

Dragon Cypress asked with concern, "Heliotrope, Seven-Leaf's breakthrough to King-Level was successful, right?"

Heliotrope replied, "It was a success!"

Dragon Cypress said, "Congratulate Seven-Leaf for me."

Heliotrope: "Thank you for your concern, Dragon Cypress Ant King."

What Dragon Cypress cared about most was still the Aconite Spider King. After a pause, he asked: "So, Seven-Leaf Spider King should be able to smoothly inherit Aconite Spider King's share of the deals, right?"

Heliotrope understood what Dragon Cypress meant and took the initiative to say, "There will be a few years of transition. Aconite Spider King is retiring but not withdrawing yet. Seven-Leaf Spider King will lead the caravan, negotiating deals with the kingdoms along the way. Aconite Spider King will travel with the caravan but won't intervene."

Dragon Cypress: "..."

Heliotrope: "There's another issue with the caravan's safety. Aconite Spider King said, once Seven-Leaf Spider King condensed the first Divine Mark and had the preliminary combat power a Spider King should possess, she can be truly at ease."

It looks like the Divine-Grade Fruit that grants Life System talent will still take quite a few years to be delivered.

Dragon Cypress did not ask further, tapped his tentacle as a sign, and said, "Red Peach, Heliotrope, let's start our trade first. Don't keep White Ivy and Seven-Leaf waiting too long..."

...

The spring trade concluded.

With the affairs on Cloud Trace Continent finished,

Ink Orchid continued guarding the Areca Rainforest.

Dragon Cypress took Black Birch, entered Wanglan Continent, and began another year of busy work.

Time flew by—two years passed.

Silver Cypress Year 4,

The escape tunnels from Fragrant Silk Island leading north, east, and west to the surrounding seas were all completed.

Initial security projects were in place. Cypress, Black Birch, and Tie Bush were stationed permanently on the island, with Black Birch still managing the underground water vein network and surface land development.

...

Silver Cypress Year 5,

Spring.

The Divine-Grade Leizhe Fruit arrived, and Dragon Cypress used it right away.

The Divine-Given Seed and Divine-Grade Fruit required for the Lord's evolution from Age 6 to Age 7 were all in hand.

Thanks to the Flame Spider Kingdom's leadership electoral event on the Ten-thousand Tribes Continent, White Ivy and Melde split, and the Origin Force Honey's trading share soared to fifty million, doubling in size.

Plus the Bee King Honey deals, Dragon Cypress could earn nearly three million Source Stones each year just in refining and processing fees.

The resources needed for evolution were almost all gathered: ten million Thunder System Divine-Given Origin Force Food; eighteen million Water System Divine-Given Origin Force Food; two million Comprehensive Physique, Carapace, and Perception-type Divine-Given Origin Force Food.

But to evolve, there was still a problem: after four years, the Life Pouch still hadn't produced the Spikemoss Divine-Given Seed.

This thing kept drawing Primordial Energy from Dragon Cypress at a high rate, truly an endless pit—no matter how much he poured in, it never filled up.

Strangely, if there was an abundance of Primordial Energy in Dragon Cypress's body, it would absorb at over ten times the rate of a normal Divine-Given Seed.

Most bizarre, when using spiritual power to sense it, he constantly sensed only an extremely condensed dot of Primordial Energy at the center of the seed, vague and indistinct, there yet not there.

—With so much Origin Force absorbed, where did it all go?

Dragon Cypress sprawled atop the Dominating Throne, barely moving.

For the first time, the Dominating Throne's auxiliary Origin Force absorption and recovery function was falling behind the need.

The Origin Force concentration was high in the Central Region of the Purple Tung Insect Nation, so Dragon Cypress took up residence there, fulfilling his promise to the Linnan Divine Tree by breeding a batch of Specialized Green Ants...

A year flashed by...

Still no progress...

The Spikemoss Divine-Given Seed in the Life Pouch was absorbing Origin Force even faster, as if just getting started.

Dragon Cypress quickly finished the autumn and winter work and stayed on in the Purple Tung Insect Nation.

...

Winter passed and spring came, Silver Cypress Year 6.

Spring faded, summer arrived, and then, in the biting winds of late autumn—

Inside Dragon Cypress's Life Pouch, the Spikemoss Divine-Given Seed's rate of Primordial Energy absorption suddenly stopped; that dot of Origin Force became vivid and full.

—At last, it's done.

Dragon Cypress felt a rush, his heart burning, and called for Ink Orchid; they hurried to finish that year's autumn trade and Divine-Given Seed search.

...

At the start of winter, all affairs were finally settled.

Xianglan Mountain Ant Nest.

After simple preparations, Dragon Cypress entered slumber.

Ink Orchid stood guard at the cave entrance in person.

Eight days later,

There was no sign of awakening.

The Soul-Setting Ability detected calm soul fluctuations—he was still in deep sleep.

Ink Orchid found it odd.

Ten days later, still no sign of awakening.

The cave was continuously absorbing Origin Force at an extraordinarily high rate.

Ink Orchid guessed—it must be that strange Spikemoss Divine-Given Seed causing trouble.

Twelve days later,

Silver Cypress, Fragrant Cypress, and Black Sophora grew anxious and hurried over together.

Silver Cypress cautiously asked, "Second King, what's the situation with the Great King?"

Ink Orchid: "His soul is steady, in deep sleep. It must be because of that Divine-Given Seed."

Silver Cypress: "So, we..."

Ink Orchid: "Relax, it's fine. Just wait patiently."

Fragrant Cypress: "Second King, I think we shouldn't just sit and wait. The Dominating Throne is continuously consuming Origin Force at a high rate. Shouldn't we use a stash of Source Stones?"

Ink Orchid: "No need to waste them. The Origin Force stored in the Dominating Throne is more than enough to support Evolution King Level. When it is consuming Origin Force, it will automatically replenish from nature, always keeping itself full. That the Throne's absorption of Natural Primordial Force is so fast only means Dragon Cypress is burning through Origin Force for evolution; there's nothing else wrong."

Fragrant Cypress: "Second King, then we..."

Ink Orchid: "Why the panic? Wait in peace!"

—Understood, Second King.

Silver Cypress, Fragrant Cypress, and Black Sophora all remained at the cave entrance to wait together.

Three more days and nights passed,

Dragon Cypress had been sleeping for half a month by now.

Even the Second King was gradually starting to get anxious.

But there was nothing anyone could do to help.

They waited in anxious anticipation.

Time trickled by, bit by bit.

Another four days of suffering passed. In the middle of the night, wild Origin Force Fluctuations suddenly erupted in the cave.

The Dominating Throne's rate of Origin Force absorption shot up, forming a vacuum that rapidly spread to cover over half the Land of Origin Force.

Within the Ant Nest, the colony scattered and fled.

—It's ending!

—The Great King is safe!

Ink Orchid, Silver Cypress, Fragrant Cypress, and Black Sophora also ran out of the cave, staying far away.

The violent Origin Force Fluctuation lasted for most of the night before calming abruptly at dawn.

Within the Ant Nest Royal Family, atop the Dominating Throne, Dragon Cypress slowly regained consciousness.

He noticed immediately that something was wrong—his body was weak; his physical strength was nearly depleted.

—How long had I been asleep?

—And I'd always kept up my Comprehensive Physique Enhancement.

Dragon Cypress pondered, struggling to molt his old shell; the new carapace quickly hardened.

He took the metal can prepared to one side and devoured a whole can of Ant Honey in no time, recovering some physical strength.

Using mental power sensing on himself, he felt a slight joy in his heart.

As expected, this time he had smoothly awakened his Thunder System Talent!

With a shift of thought, Dragon Cypress directed his spiritual power outside the cave.

"???"

"Where's Ink Orchid?"

"Where is my ant colony?"

"What's going on?"

"Did something happen?"

Dragon Cypress gave a thought and activated Soul-Setting Ability.

In the mountains, in the direction of the Shanxi Reservoir, Silver Cypress, Fragrant Cypress, and Black Sophora were hurrying back towards the Ant Nest, leading the colony.

Ink Orchid was flickering forward, already entering the Ant Nest and heading toward the royal chambers.

—Looks like something happened.

—Is it related to my evolution this time?

Dragon Cypress thought it over and quickly set out, landing lightly and walking out of the Ant Nest.